Heat exchanger



Nov. 26, 1940. s. T. JACOCKS HEAT EXCHANGER Filed June '7, 1939 IN VEN T 0R Qgozye I Jaws/51s ,44 ORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1940 QUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,223,319 HEAT EXCHANGER poration of Delaware Application June 7, 1939, Serial No. 277,812

1 Claim. (Cl. 257-225) This invention relates to improvements in heat exchangers, more particularly of the shell and tube type, and specifically relates to the construction of the floating tube sheet and cover.

5 In the usual shell and tube type heat exchangers it is common to secure the tube bundle, which includes the tubes, the fixed tube sheet, and thefloating tube sheet and cover, to the shell as by clamping the fixed tube sheet between the shell and the channel. The tube bundle is projected into the shell and normally the floating tube sheet and its cover extend beyond the end of the shell and are covered by the shell cover.

With a removable tube bundle it is, therefore, necessary that the floating tube sheet be smaller in diameter than the interior of the shell and that any parts which may be secured thereto can be removed from the shell coverend, for otherwise it would be necessary to materially increase the shell diameter which not only increases the expense, but prevents the shell from closely fitting afiainst the tubes.

It has been a subject of considerable importance to provide a floating tube sheet cover which could be effectively sealed andremoved for inspection and cleaning of the tubes and yet which would not require an excessive size shell.

It is one of the principal objects of my invention to provide an improved arrangement of floating tube sheet cover and attaching device, whereby the floating tube sheet may be of a minimum diameter for the number of tubes, and 35 whereby the cover may be effectively secured thereto, such construction being free of warping due to pressure and temperature changes.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following disclosure of 40 a preferred form of embodiment of my invention taken in connection with the attached drawing illustrative thereof, andin which the figureis a central vertical section of one end of a shell and tube type heat exchanger.

45 In accordance with a preferred form of embodiment of my invention, the heat exchanger generally indicated at I consists primarily of a shell which is closed by a shell cover I2 and which is 50 adapted to receive a tube bundle I4, such tube bundle being provided with a floating tube sheet I and a floating tube sheet cover I6.

v As is well understood, it is customary to pass fluids through the tubes I4, and the floating tube sheet cover I6 serves to pass the fluids from one bank of tubes to another bank to reverse the flow.

It is also to be understood that the tube bundle I4 is attached on its other end to a fixed tube sheet (not shown), which is suitably anchored to the shell I0 in a manner such that the floating tube sheet I5 must be of a diameter smaller than the interior of the shell so that it can be inserted therethrough.

In accordance with my invention, I prefer to make the floating tube sheet cover I 6 of approximately the same diameter as the floating tube sheet I5, and such cover will be sealed with respect to the tube sheet by a gasket II.

In order to secure the floating tube sheet cover I6 to the floating tube sheet I5, I also pro-' vide an annular member I 8, which is provided at its top with a separate continuous ring 32 adapted to receive a series of holding bolts 33, which contact with the margin I61; of the cover I6, and such ring may be secured to the annular member I8 as by the marginal bolts 34.

The annular member I8 may be eflectively secured to the floating tube sheet I5 as by a series of marginal bolts 22 with a portion of the thread 25 cut in the adjacent members. It is to be understood that by such construction the threads serve as shear members, to resist the withdrawal of the annular member I8 from the floating tube sheet I5 anda very efi'ective temporary attachment is made. The bolts 22 may be removed when desired as, for example, when the tube bundle is to be removed. By detaching the shell cover I2, there is ample room to remove these bolts 22 as the floating tube sheet I5yextends sufliciently beyond the end of the shell I 0 for such purpose.

It will be appreciated that in this construction the ring 32 can be removed without destroying the attachment of the annular member I8 to the floating tube sheet I5, and thereby the cover I6 can be removed for inspection and cleaningof the tubes. It is only necessary to remove the annular member I8 when the floating tube sheet I5 is projected through the shell, which is infrequent, and the frequent removal of the cover I6 for cleaning may be accomplished by the more convenient removal of the marginal bolts 34 and the removal of the relatively light annular ring 32.

While I have shown a preferred form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that modifications may be made thereto and I, therefore, desire a broad interpretation of my invention within the scope and spirit of the description herein and of the claim appended hereafter.

I claim:

In a heat exchanger of the class described having a shell, a tube bundle therein, a tube sheet for one end of the tube bundle and a cover for said tube sheet having a rim engaging the outer face of the tube sheet, the'combination of :a continuous annular member surrounding the periphery of the cover and tube sheet, a plurality of axially extending marginal members screw threaded into the margin of the continuous annular member and the tube sheet and detachably retaining the annular member to the tube large as the cover whereby, on removal of the m marginal members screw threaded therein, the

ring and cover may be removed from the tube sheet without the removal of the annular member.

' GEORGE T. JACOCKS. 

